"How To Find Contentment" - Inspirational Weekend

The above photograph is of Lika, my calico cat.  She is cat-napping and looks rather content doesn't she! Animals can teach us many lessons.   As a rule, they take life as it comes and never get anxious.

This post is about contentment and how to find it.  The online dictionary defines contentment as happiness and fulfillment; comfort, serenity and peace.  

This post is also about godliness, which means conforming to the laws and wishes of God; holiness, piety.  You are no doubt aware of what Scripture I will be referring to;  yes, 1 Timothy 6:6, which follows:

"But godliness with contentment is great gain."

It means that if you are godly and focused on the good Lord and His will, you will be more likely to feel contentment.  Worldly pleasures and materialism will not consume you to the point where you are always wanting more, more, more; yet you are never satisfied with that mindset, because material things cannot buy you happiness.  Oh, you may have some pleasure in having a new "toy" for a time, but when the newness wears off, you look for something else to possess in an unreasonable quest for happiness through material things or through a relationship.  You know what I am referring to.

I speak from experience.   Before I was born again, I looked for happiness from "things".  I had over 50 rose bushes in my yard and over 100 African violet flowers  under lights in my home.  One Persian cat was not enough, I had to have several and became a breeder.   I could go on and on, but the bottom line is, I was really trying to fill a void with things of this world instead of turning to God, Who only can truly fill that empty void within our souls.

If you learn to be content with what you already have, there will be less striving for more possessions, less debt, and less selfish desires.  Be God-centered and focus on living a life pleasing to Him.  You will find that Jesus can give you true happiness, and a purpose for living that does not include self-indulgence.   

I am reminded of the apostle Paul and what he said at Philippians 4:11-12 :

"(11)  Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.  (12)  I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound:  every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need."

Paul suffered much persecution, hardships, beatings, and imprisonment, yet he found joy and purpose and fulfillment in the Lord and in doing the Lord's work, which was preaching the gospel.  We can take a much needed lesson from observing Paul's life and ministry.  He was not interested in acquiring material goods or in having a big home and all of the world's comforts.  He was focused on doing God's will and reaching lost souls for the Lord.

"The heart," says Wiesinger, "amid every outward want, is then only truly rich when it not only wants nothing which it has not, but has that which raises it above what it has not."

"Let this be thy whole endeavor, this thy prayer, this thy desire, that thou mayest be stripped of all selfishness and with entire simplicity follow Jesus only."  -  Thomas A. Kempis

"Prayer - secret, fervent , believing prayer - lies at the root of all personal godliness."  -  William Carey

"For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.  And having food and raiment let us be therewith content."  -  1 Timothy 6:7-8

The verses above remind me of that saying, "You can't take it with you."   So that is why we need to focus on Jesus and spiritual matters and to be busy doing the Lord's work.   It also reminds me of that poem which tells us,  "Only one life to live; only what's done for Christ will last." 

1 John 2:15-17 says,  (15) "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.  If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  (16) For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. (17) And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."

We are definitely living in the last hour of the last days.  Bible prophecy is being fulfilled almost on a daily basis.  Jesus will return soon to take true believers to heaven in the Rapture of the Church.   Why be immersed in a world that is soon to pass away?  Why accumulate treasures that you cannot take into eternity?  Remember, if you are a faithful follower of  Christ, this wicked world is not your home.  We belong in heaven, our true and glorious home for all of eternity.   There godliness and contentment will be perfected.

Live for Christ !  Occupy till He returns !  (Luke 19:13)  By occupy that means to be busy in doing the Lord's will and winning lost souls to the Lord and by preaching the gospel.

If you do not know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior,  you will never know what true peace and contentment is all about.   Only Jesus can satisfy that deep longing inside, that indescribable "something" that makes the soul long for what you just cannot put your finger on but you know something is missing in life.   What is missing is Jesus, and a strong relationship with God through Christ. Only a deep, personal, intimate love relationship with the Lord can bring true peace and contentment; and in turn you will learn godliness.  Likewise, the more spiritually minded you are, the more you will find contentment.  Godliness and contentment naturally flow together.

If you are an unbeliever, now is the time to accept Jesus as your Savior and believe that only He can wash your sins away by His shed blood at Calvary.   He died for you !   Think about it!  He made a way for you to have eternal life in heaven, instead of in hell. 

We all are sinners in need of the saving power of Jesus (Romans 3:23). It is necessary to believe He is the Savior, and to ask God to forgive you of your sins; to repent with all your heart and to put your faith in Him.  You need to also believe in Jesus' resurrection.

Romans 10:9,10,13 says it best:  (9) "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Jesus loves you !

He is waiting with open arms of love and forgiveness if you but turn to Him in faith and repentance !

Choose Jesus.

Choose eternal life with Him.

"Jesus saith unto him,  I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."   -  John 14:6

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."   -  John 3:16

"To Live And To Die" (Video) - Inspirational Weekend

The title of this post, "To Live And To Die", sounds like the information here is morbid and doom and gloom.   I promise you that is not the case! Let me quote a wonderful Scripture found at Philippians 1:21 :

"For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."

This was written by the apostle Paul.  His life found all its meaning in Christ, Who was his secret to continual joy.  This can also be the case with all true Christians who put Jesus first in their lives, and who live a godly life and thereby endeavor to imitate Him in their daily walk in love and obedience.  

"Jesus answered and said unto him,  If a man love me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him."  -  John 14: 23

Many who read "to die is gain" in Philippians 1:21, concentrate on just that part of the verse and they think of being in heaven forever with the Lord.   All that is true,  but you need to be a born again believer, sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13), in order to make it to heaven.  "To die is gain" refers to the fact that we will be with Christ after death; that is, if you are a true believer who has lived a life of obedience and faith in the good Lord.   Works do not save you; faith in Jesus is what saves you.  But a true believer will bring forth much fruit, and will obey and follow Jesus with a pure heart.

"For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also."  -  James 2:26

True believers will endeavor to live a Christ-like life....to "live Christ."  Galatians 2:20 tells us:

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me."

The above verse is the apostle Paul speaking again.  What faith he had !  What devotion and dedication he exhibited !  May we all be likewise!  

The thought behind "to me to live is Christ" is that we be so one with Christ that we do only His will, and continually have "the mind of Christ."  (1 Corinthians 2:16)

Keep in mind, also, that we are not only to "live Christ" but to bring Him glory as well.  Praise Him and give Him glory in all we do and say.  Let our lives, our hearts, our minds, our actions, our speech, reflect  good things and give glory to God and Jesus in everything !

"To live is Christ" means that we will want to know more about the Lord and to take in as much knowledge of Him as possible.   To do that we need to read our Bibles daily, as well as to pray daily.   You get to know more about a person by communicating with him,  Do the same with the good Lord.  Develop a close, intimate, personal, love relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

If we are truly saved, we will also have the enthusiasm for preaching the gospel and for witnessing at every opportunity.  We may also have to give up anything that prevents us from serving the Lord.   Anything that takes up all of our time needs to be dealt with and eliminated in order to enable us to live for the Lord with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength. 

We need to fix our eyes on Jesus.  Put Him first !

Following is a 4 minute worship song about to live is Christ:

All of the above does not apply to those who are unbelievers.  But look up, folks! Jesus loves you and is waiting to hear from you! All you need to do is to repent of your sins and do not live a life of sin any more, pray for forgiveness, and sincerely dedicate your whole life to the Lord as you turn to Him in faith and trust.  Believe Jesus is the Savior and that His shed blood at Calvary will wash your sins away.   Believe also in His resurrection.  All of this takes faith on your part.  It is that faith that will save you where you may live for Christ and have the hope of eternal life.

Do not delay !

We all want to live forever !   Let it be with the Lord in heaven !

Jesus gives us hope, a glorious future, a purpose in life right now, (to serve Him and to be a light and witness bearer).

Wouldn't you rather be in eternity where there is no more sin, no more death, and no more sorrow?  -  Revelation 21:4

This old earth is passing away soon!  -  1 John 2:17

Jesus is eternal and you can be as well !

There is hope !

"And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."  -  1 John 2:17

Romans 10:9,10,13 tells us :  (9)  "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  (13)  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."   -  John 3:16

"Jesus saith unto him,  I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."  -  John 14:6

Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend.....and life !

"Walk As Children Of Light" - Inspirational Weekend

What does it mean, exactly, to walk as children of light?  

"For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord:  walk as children of light."  -  Ephesians 5:8

There is a distinct contrast between light and darkness.  Not only as in night and day, but also spiritually speaking.  When we think of darkness, we tend to think of the devil and evil and chaos.  When we consider the light, we think of God and Jesus and everything holy, lovely and pure.

"This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is Light, and in Him is no darkness at all."   -   1 John 1:5

"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world:  he that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."   -   John 8:12

It follows, then, that if we have a close, personal, intimate love relationship with God through Jesus Christ; and if we are followers of Jesus, that we would therefore "walk in the light".  However, you need to be born again and filled with the Holy Spirit in order to walk in the light.  Without a saving faith in Jesus, you are in darkness.   

Jesus called us believers the light of the world at Matthew 5:14 ,  

"Ye are the light of the world.  A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid."  

One commentator sums up walking as children of light is, first of all, "It is to walk in the brightness of that light: to walk in the light of God's precious gospel, to walk in the light of God's perfections, to walk in the the realizing view of His pardoning mercy,  to walk in the light of His adoption, to walk as righteous ones, righteous in the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ."

The light of God and of Jesus is pure and holy.  As a person grows in spiritual maturity, their "light" will be made pure and holy as well.   Granted, Christians are imperfect in that they sometimes sin, but they confess their sins, turn away and endeavor never to repeat the sin, and they pray for God's forgiveness in Jesus' name, Who in turn intercedes for them to the Living, True, God Who is Almighty. When you are a born again believer, God sees you as being "washed in the blood of Jesus"; He sees you as being pure and holy in the sense that you are forgiven;  He sees you as forgiven by the sacrifice of Jesus' shed blood at Calvary, whereby you are washed and made clean.

1 Peter 1:15-16 tells us:  (15) "But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;  (16) Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."

So those who walk as children of light abide in the light.  "Their hearts, minds, affections are of a spiritual and heavenly temper; spiritual light in their minds, holiness in their wills, joy, delight, hopes of glory in their hearts."  Children of light walk so as to be light unto others.

 Another commentator says, " 'Walking in the light' means we believe Jesus is 'the Light' in this world, and we 'walk' in that light by following His precepts, living in His power, and growing in His Grace."

We all need to keep in mind that we are living in the last hour of the last days; Bible prophecy is being fulfilled almost daily; the hour is near when Jesus will return to take all true believers to heaven to be with Him forever.

Don't be left behind!

If you have never given your heart and your life to the Lord, now is the time.  You do not want to be left behind after the Rapture of the Church as what follows in the 7 year Tribulation period is so horrific and full of God's wrath upon the ungodly left on earth during that time. 

"(For He saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)   -  2 Corinthians 6:2

Everyone longs for peace and security, a home where you are loved and where the good Lord is to be found.  That home of love and heavenly bliss can be yours if you but accept Jesus as the Savior, and put your hope and trust and faith in Him, and believe in His resurrection.  You need to pray and ask for forgiveness, and truly repent of your sins, which means you have a change of mind and heart and will endeavor never to repeat your sins. 

Believe in Jesus with all of your being !

His arms are wide open, ready to receive you in an embrace of love and of forgiveness !

Romans 10:9, 10, 13 tells us:  (9)  "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 

(10)  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (13)  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

"That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;"  -  Philippians 2:15

"Jesus answered and said unto him, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."  -  John 3:3

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  -  John 3:16

"Don't Fret; Be Happy" (With Videos) - Inspirational Weekend

The above horses on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, look contented and happy.  It made me feel good and downright happy to photograph them the day I was there.  

Some have said that happiness is temporary and fleeting while true joy is from the Lord and is forever.   The truth is, both joy and happiness are very similar in meaning and the Bible gives no such distinction between the two words, as well as the similar word rejoice.   It depends on which translation you have, but the Bible uses the words happy and happiness about 30 times;  but joy and rejoice are found in God's word over 300 times.

As I was thinking about writing on happiness for this weekend, that old song "Don't Worry, Be Happy" popped into my mind and I can't seem to shake it.  You can find the full version of the song on You Tube, but here is a fun version which is a short one minute cartoon-type clip of it:

"If you hope for happiness in the world, hope for it from God, and not from the world."  -  David Brainerd  

"Success is getting what you want.  Happiness wants what you get."   -  Woodrow Kroll

"Happy the soul that has been awed by a view of God's majesty."   -  A. W. Pink

We all know that true happiness does not come from worldly pleasures and selfish ambition and selfish lifestyles that are also full of the ungodly world's poisons.  Those things do not fill the void in our hearts that only the good Lord Himself can fill, Who can thereby give you true joy and a purpose for living.  And, I might add, a wonderful hope for an eternity in bliss and joyfulness.

Having such a hope for an eternity with the Lord is plenty of reason to be happy right now in this imperfect world we live in.  When you are a born again believer, you are sealed and filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30), which enables you to obey and follow Jesus and to build a strong relationship with God.   You will be happy when you read and study His Holy Word and when you spend much time in prayer, building a strong relationship with the heavenly Father through Jesus Christ His Son.   You will, in time, grow to spiritual maturity and be even more effective in your walk with Him and in service to others; in particular, to obey the Great Commission found at Matthew 28:19, 20.  All of that will make you happy because you know you will be pleasing God.   It will put a song in your heart, and make your worship more intense and more personal; more devoted and more reverent.  

"I sing because I'm happy" is a repeated phrase in the hymn "His Eye is on the Sparrow" which follows:

In the above song, the lyrics also say that because God takes note of the sparrow, we know He watches over His children as well.  That is enough to make anyone happy and grateful, to know the Lord is watching over us and taking care of us and guiding and teaching and protecting us.

"I believe that the happiest of all Christians and the truest of Christians are those who never dare to doubt God, but take His Word simply as it stands, and believe it, and ask no questions, just feeling assured that if God has said it, it will be so."   -    Charles Spurgeon   

Happiness can be found in admiring the Creator's handiwork on this beautiful earth; it can also be found in simple pleasures and in the love of family and friends.  But true happiness comes from the Holy Spirit of God, which enables you to obey and serve the Lord with joy and with much gratefulness. 

Our salvation itself is a source of joy !  

"Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore."  -  Psalm 16:11

"Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost."    -  Romans 15:13

"And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost."   -  1 Thessalonians 1:6

The Scripture above reminds us that we may have afflictions and hardships, but we can still hold on to our joy with the help of the Holy Spirit.   We realize that trials and sickness and the like are but temporary, and soon we will be with the Lord forever and He will wipe away all of our tears and there will be no more crying or death or sorrow.  (Revelation 21:4).

Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22).

Joy is a gift from God.  

So be happy !!

God's people will be happy forever !

If you are not a believer, not born again, not sealed with the Holy Spirit, then you cannot experience true happiness and the joy of serving the Lord.  You will not know His love and forgiveness and His guidance and the hope He gives to all who turn to Him in repentance.

Stop and think !  By not turning to the Lord you are making a choice.....a choice to spend eternity in the wrong place - hell.   

Time is short!

Jesus will return soon to take all true believers to be with Him forever !   Wouldn't you rather be in heaven where there is no more pain, no more violence, no more evil, no more deceivers?

All you need to do is pray and ask for forgiveness, believe in Jesus as the Savior, believe in His resurrection, and believe that His shed blood on the cross can wash your sins away and wipe the slate clean......you are forgiven if you turn to Him in true repentance and belief. 

Jesus loves you and will welcome you with understanding and pardon.

He is waiting to hear from you.

Don't delay!


Romans 10: 9.10, 13 tells us:  (9)  "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  (13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."     -  John 3:16

"Jesus saith unto him,  I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."   -  John 14:6



I pray that you have a happy weekend.... and a happy Christ centered life.

"Salvation Explained And A Personal Testimony" (With Video) - Inspirational Weekend

"Salvation is the greatest act of God's love", says Pastor Billy Crone in the following video.   What is salvation and how do you obtain it?  It is all about faith in the Lord and believing that Jesus Christ is the Savior whose shed blood at Calvary can wash your sins away if you but believe in Him and trust Him.  I frequently share Romans 10:9,10, 13 and here it is again:

"(9)  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  (10)  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  (13)  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Salvation is not mere head knowledge of Jesus.  It is not a formula prayer that saves you.  You need, however, to pray to the Lord for forgiveness, and truly repent of your sins.  God looks at the heart; if your heart is sincere and you totally surrender your will and your life to Jesus, that is what salvation is all about.  It is living totally for the good Lord and His will.  It is faith and belief in Jesus Christ.

The following 19 minute video by prophecywatchers.com  features host Gary Stearman and Pastor and author Billy Crone in which they beautifully explain salvation and in which Pastor Crone gives his personal testimony of how he was saved.   Such an uplifting and informative video !

In the video, Billy Crone likens sin to a cancer....which needs to be eradicated.  Only Jesus can perform the needed "operation" to clear out the sin and make us a new creation.

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are past away; behold, all things are become new."   -   2 Corinthians 5:17

As Pastor Crone says,  "Nobody has a brighter future than God's children."

"And that He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again."   -  2 Corinthians 5:15

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."    -   John 3:16

Have a happy and a grace filled weekend, centered on Christ.

Warning ! You Don't Want To Be There ! (With Videos)

Let's talk about the 7 seals of Revelation.  We will also watch two videos concerning these seals.  Pastor Billy Crone has written a new book on the subject, as well as making a DVD set available.  The 7 seals deal with the first half of the 7 year tribulation period.  Most people are of the belief that the first half of the Tribulation will not be so bad and that they can survive in their bunkers and eat their cases of "survival food " and will be able to protect themselves with no problem.   Wrong!  It is true, as Pastor Crone points out, that the first half of the Tribulation will not be as bad as the second half; however,  if you read the seal judgments  of the first 3 and a half years of this horrible time, you will realize that you do not want to be there for any of this time of tribulation, for the first half of it is horrific in itself.  Turn in your Bibles to Revelation chapters 5 and 6 for the first 6 seals, and then in chapter 8 of Revelation it mentions the 7th seal, which opens the trumpet judgments to follow.  

Following are two videos, each of which is 29 minutes in length, by prophecywatchers.com with host Gary Stearman  and Pastor Billy Crone discussing the seals. 

The seals of Revelation,  Part One:

The Seals of Revelation, Part Two:

You can discern clearly from watching these videos that both parts of the Tribulation will be filled with horror and violence like we have never witnessed.  As Pastor Crone says in the second video, "There will be a murderous spirit all over the planet."

You definitely do not want to be there..... during any part of the 7 year Tribulation.

If you are saved (born again) you will not have to endure any part of this wrath of God, because you will have been raptured with Christ's Bride (the church; true believers in Jesus) sometime prior to the Tribulation.  Knowing what you know, as believers, you ought to be busy sharing the gospel of Jesus with lost souls.   You do not want your worst enemy to have to face the tribulation period, as Pastor Crone says.  

If you are not saved, not a true believer in Jesus Christ as the Savior, knowing what lies ahead....not only the wrath of God in the Tribulation, but also your future of torments in hell, it should make you run to the good Lord in sorrow and repentance and ask Him for forgiveness.  You need to believe with all your being that Jesus is the Savior whose shed blood at Calvary can wash you clean and make you a child of God, if you only believe in Christ and surrender your will and your life to Him.

Romans 10:9,10,13 tells us,  (9) "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from  the dead, thou shalt be saved. (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  (13)  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Don't delay ! 

Jesus will return soon to take all true believers to heaven to be with Him.

Don't be left behind to face any part of the Tribulation.

He will forgive you and welcome  you with love and tenderness when you humble yourself and repent and come to Him in faith and belief.

"(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee; behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) -  2 Corinthians 6:2

"Jesus saith unto him,  I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by Me."    -  John 14:6

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."    -  John 3:36

"Be Victorious ! Be An Overcomer !" - Inspirational Weekend

Life can be difficult and filled with troubles and sorrows and severe trials.  But you do not need to become depressed and to feel absolutely like everything is hopeless.  I have been there, done that in the past.  But since I have been born again, I am filled with hope and faith and much love and gratitude towards our awesome Creator and our Savior Jesus Christ.  

Our main obstacle is the devil and his schemes and temptations, as well as the lure of the world and its sinful pleasures and enticements.  You cannot have one foot in the Christian church and the other foot slipping into the ways of the world.  God wants us to be holy and pure.

"But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written,  Be ye holy; for I am holy."   -  1 Peter 1:15-16

To be holy is to be set apart.....set apart from sin and impurity and set apart to God.

The Bible has much to say about being an overcomer, especially in the book of Revelation.   The word of the Lord given to the apostle John for the 7 churches has mentioned to each church about overcoming.  (Revelation chapters 2 and 3).  But first let's consider other Scriptures about being victorious and being an overcomer.

1 John 5:4-5 tells us,  (4) "For whosoever is born of God overcometh the world:  and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.  (5)  Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?"

Notice that verse 4 above says that those who are born of God (born again) overcome the world.  If you are truly born again then the Holy Spirit indwells you and enables you to have strength to resist worldly lusts and temptations.  You will want to be obedient to God.  Notice also that our victory comes from our faith.

In verse 5 of 1 John 5 it informs us that only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God can truly overcome the world.   Only those who continue to live by faith, and those who trust and obey God will be able to overcome.

To be a conqueror is to be victorious and to be an overcomer.  Consider Romans 8:37-39:

(37)  "Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.  (38) For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers,  nor things present, nor things to come,  (39) nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."  

As believers, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13).  If you are truly born again, nothing can separate you from the love of God.  You have, with the Holy Spirit's help, the power to overcome anything, even the attacks of the devil. Also, overcomers are all those redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ.  Stay strong in the faith.

I had intended to dwell primarily on the verses in Revelation chapters 2 and 3 that deal with the rewards given to those who overcome.  The Lord must have had other plans.  To go into detail will no doubt require another post another time.  For now I will only briefly mention what those rewards are.

Overcomers will be blessed to eat of the tree of life  (Revelation 2:7) ;  they will not be hurt by the second death (Revelation 2:11); they will eat of the hidden manna and be given a white stone with a new name written on it (Revelation 2:17);  they will be given power over the nations (Revelation 2:26); they will be clothed in white garments and their name will not be blotted out of the Book of Life (Revelation 3:5) ;  they will be made pillars in the Temple of God and new Jerusalem's name and the name of God will be written upon them (Revelation 3:12);  and overcomers will sit with the Lord on His throne (Revelation 3:21).  

The most wonderful reward of all is being with the Lord forever in heaven, worshiping Him in an atmosphere of total love and adoration.  Our finite minds cannot begin to comprehend the glory of the Lord and of heaven.  It is so awesome to think about it. 

But if you are not a born again believer - not saved -  then you do not have the wonderful hope of eternal life in heaven. You know what the alternative is........torment in hell forever.  

Choose life !  

Choose Jesus !

Go to the Lord and ask for forgiveness of your sins; be truly repentant and by that turn away from a life of sin; confess  your sins and have a true and sincere belief that Jesus is the Son of God and that He is the Savior of the world.....to all who come to him in faith and belief.   

Salvation is not a mere head decision to believe in Jesus;  it is a change of heart, a contrite heart that wants to be right with the Lord.  Only God can take a heart of stone and turn it into a heart of flesh; one that will totally surrender all to Jesus.  

We are living in the last hour of the last days.  Jesus could return at any time; it is that imminent.  

Don't delay!  

Jesus loves you and will welcome you with arms wide open to embrace you in forgiveness.  

Romans 10: 9, 10, 13 tells us:  (9)  "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.   (10)  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  (13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

"Jesus answered and said unto him,  Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."   -  John 3:3

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."   -  John 3:16

"Jesus saith unto him,  I am the way, the truth, and the life:  no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."    -  John 14:6

Keep looking up!   Keep watching !

Have a Christ centered weekend... and life !